Ocean Grove ordered to allow Sunday beach access after DEP ruling
Land there is owned by the Camp Meeting Association and, beginning in 1869, closed its beaches on Sunday mornings for religious purposes through 2024.
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After years of back-and-forth rulings, the commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection has ordered Ocean Grove to open its beaches on Sunday mornings.
It's known as God's Square Mile – a historic beachfront section of Neptune Township called Ocean Grove. Land there is owned by the Camp Meeting Association and, beginning in 1869, closed its beaches on Sunday mornings for religious purposes through 2024.
“We want to go on the beach on Sundays. There's no reason we shouldn’t be able to go on the beach on Sundays,” said Don Greenberg, a volunteer with the Jersey Shore Region’s Surfrider Foundation.
Groups like Surfrider Foundation challenged the religious community's 9 a.m. to noon Sunday closure.
“The state holds nearshore and portions of the dry sand in trust for the public,” said Greenberg.
In July, an administrative judge ruled Ocean Grove could keep Sunday closures, but on Dec. 26, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Shawn LaTourette issued a 38-page response, superseding that decision, ordering the beaches opened.
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LaTourette writes: "OGCMA remains free to practice its religion, but it must provide public access to the Ocean Grove beach as required by the law and its CAFRA permit."
Surfrider members say permits for the new pier and federal replenishment also required the Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association to agree to the state's access rules.
“If you're going to accept beach replenishment or dune replenishment, it's conditioned upon access. So, you can't block access and take money from the feds or the state,” said Greenberg.
These Surfrider members say the Camp Meeting Association can and will likely appeal the decision on religious grounds.
“We're hoping to get out there this summer and enjoy the beaches on summer Sundays…it's going to be great,” said Matt Gove, a policy manager for the Mid-Atlantic Region’s Surfrider Foundation.
News 12 reached out to the Camp Meeting Association for reaction and comment on this latest decision by the New Jersey DEP.
